Perspiration inhibiting composition



Patented Mar. 25, 194i TION INHIBITING COMPOSITIGN John H. Wallace, In,Princeton, N. .lL, and Wilfred 0. Hand, New York N. Y.; said Handassignor to said Wallace, Jr.

N Drawing. Application May 3, 1938, Serial N0. 205,702

16 Claims.

This invention relates to improved perspiration retarding or inhibitingcompounds.

It has heretofore been proposed to control or retard the flow ofperspiration from certain skin areas by the application of solutionscontaining an acid salt of a heavy metal, usually aluminum chloride oraluminum sulfate. Such solutions are effective in stopping perspirationbut are unsatisfactory and hazardous in that the use thereof frequentlyproduces acute skin irritation or dermatitis and rots clothing fabricswhich come in contact with the treated areas. In an attempt to mitigatethe corrosive action of these compounds on fabrics, directions for theiruse usually urge that the solutions be permitted to dry on the skin andthat the treated skin areas be thereafter wiped ofi with a damp clothbefore clothing is brought in contact therewith. The solutions dryslowly and these precautions are frequently disregarded. In any case,the recommended procedure does not prevent skin irritation.

Prior to the present invention, the above described corrosive action ofefiective perspiration inhibiting preparations was considered inherentand unavoidable. The action of such preparations apparently depends uponthe presence of both the metallic aluminum or aluminum hydroxide ion andthe strong mineral acid ion. Considering aluminum sulfate, for example,the aluminum or aluminum hydroxide ion apparently combines with andcoagulates the skin proteins only in the presence of the sulfateradical, and as a result of this action, a residue of sulfuric as acidremains which irritates the skin and rots the clothing. The use ofmetallic salts of weak acids offers no solution since such compounds areineffective to restrict the flow of perspiration. The problem is furthercomplicated by the fact that if alkaline substances are added, insolublebasic aluminum compounds, such as aluminum hydroxide, are formed, and noperspiration retarding action is obtained. As-a consequence, allpreviously known effective perspiration inhibiting preparations arecharacterized by the above described undesirable corrosive action. Withthe above and other considerations in mind, it is proposed in accordancewith the present invention to provide an improved perspira- 5 tionretarding or inhibiting compound which. While retaining in full thedesirable inhibitory action of previously known preparations, avoidstheir corrosive action and is harmless to the skin and fabrics. Otherobjects of the invention include the provision of a perspirationtreating or inhibiting compound which is inexpensive to produce, whichmay be easily applied in liquid, semiliquid or other forms and which hasno undesirable odor or other physical or chemical properties which wouldimpair its usefulness as a cosmetic preparation.

The objects of the invention are carried out by providing a compound inwhich are combined one or more water soluble heavy metal salts of strongacids, usually mineral acids, and a normally neutral water soluble aminocompound possessing one or more intact reactive amino (NHz) groups.

The metallic salt astringent or coagulant ingredient of our compositionpreferably comprises ,a water soluble strong acid salt of one or moremetals, such as aluminum, zinc, cerium, zirconium, titanium, iron orbismuth, although salts of tin, lead and cadmium are also effective. Theacid radical of the astringent salt is preferably chosen from themineral acid group, such as sulfuric, phosphoric or hydrochloric acid,although salts of strong organic acids, such as sulfonic acids, may alsobe used. Examples of water soluble heavy metal salts which giveexcellent results are aluminum sulfate, aluminum chloride and aluminumphosphate.

The normally neutral protective ingredient of our composition ispreferably a chemical selected from one of two groups of aminocompounds, namely the amides and the amino acids. The suitable chemicalsin these groups are those which are neutral, which are materiallysoluble in water or in the strong acid salt of the heavy metalcomprising the astringent ingredient of our composition, and whichpossess one or more intact amino groups. Examples of amides which aresuitable for use as the protective ingredient of our composition are thelower aliphatic and aromatic amides, such as formamide, acetamide,carbamide (urea) and derivatives thereof. Suitable derivatives ofcarbamide include those obtained by replacing one amino group thereofwith an alkyl, acyl, or aryl group, such as ethyl carbamate, and thosederived by the replacement of one or more hydrogenatoms of one aminogroup of carbamide, such as ethyl urea and methyl urea. Another suitablederivative of carbamide is one in which both amino groups are intact andoxygen has been replaced by sulfur.

Examples of amino acids which are suitable for use in our composition asthe protective ingredient thereof are aminoacetic acid andaminopropionic acid.

We find it preferable to combine the acid salt ingredient and thenormally neutral ingredient in such proportions that one reactive aminogroup of the protective ingredient is available for each potential acidion of the salt. For ex- 5 ample, if the astringent and protectiveingredients comprise aluminum sulfate and glycine (aminoacetic acid)respectively, the proportions of these ingredients should be such thatsix molecules of glycine are provided for each molecule of the salt,since upon hydrolysis, a molecule of aluminum sulfate produces threemolecules of dibasic sulfuric acid. If urea (carbamide) is used as theprotective ingredient with aluminum sulfate, the proportions should besuch as to provide six molecules of urea for each molecule of aluminumsulfate, since although each molecule of urea contains two amino groups,only one of them is chemically active in this reaction.

A specific example of our improved composition using aluminum sulfateand urea may be prepared by dissolving grams of aluminum sulfate inapproximately 50 cubic centimeters of water and adding and dissolving 15grams of 25 urea in such solution, the volume of the solution beingfinally brought up to 100 cubic centimeters by the addition of water.

An example of the composition employing an amino acid as the protectiveingredient may be prepared by dissolving 13 grams of aluminum sulfate inabout 20 cubic centimeters of water and dissolving 9 grams of glycine(aminoacetic acid) in such solution.

The above and other solutions of our composition may be used in the formdescribed or a suitable wetting agent may be added thereto if desired.Our improved compound may also be incorporated in an emulsion with waxor oil and applied to the skin in this form.

Our improved composition is highly effective in stopping perspirationand is harmless to the skin and fabrics. It is our belief that when thecomposition is applied to the skin, the ionized metallic salt gives upmetallic ions or metallic hydroxide ions which combine with the skinproteins to form coagulant materials and so inhibit the flow ofperspiration. The acid ions present make possible this coagulatingaction, probably either acting as solubilizing agents or reacting withthe skin proteins. The reaction of the metallic ions with the skinproteins leaves an excess of sulfuric acid which immediately reacts withthe normally neutral protective ingredient, probably forming a neutraladdition compound therewith through the reactive amino groups thereof.Although we believe that the foregoing explanation is correct, it shouldbe understood that the invention is in no way dependent upon theaccuracy of the theory here expressed.

We claim: I

1. A perspiration inhibiting composition comprising a non-toxic watersoluble protein coagulating metallic salt of a strong acid and aneutral, water soluble amino compound taken from the group consisting ofthe aliphatic amides and the aliphatic amino acids and having at leastone intact, reactive amino group.

2. A perspiration inhibiting composition comprising a solution ofaluminum sulfate and a normally neutral amino compound, soluble in saidsalt solution, taken from the group consisting of the aliphatic amidesand the aliphatic amino acids and having at least one intact, re- 6active amino group.

3. A perspiration inhibiting composition comprising a solution ofaluminum sulfate and a normally neutral water soluble aliphatic amidehaving at least one intact, reactive amino group. 10

4. A perspiration inhibiting composition comprising a solution ofaluminum sulfate and a normally neutral water soluble aliphatic aminoacid having at least one intact, reactive amino group.

5. A perspiration inhibiting composition com- 15 prising a solution ofaluminum sulfate and urea.

6. A perspiration inhibiting composition comprising a non-toxic watersoluble protein coagulating metallic salt of a strong acid and 9.normally neutral water soluble organic compound 20 taken from the groupof amino compounds consisting of the aliphatic amides and the aliphaticamino acids and having at least one intact, reactive amino group, theproportion of said organic compound in the composition being sufli- 25cient to provide at least one intact, reactive amino group for eachpotential acid ion of the metallic salt.

7. A perspiration inhibiting composition comprising a water solutioncontaining a solute com- 30 prising about 62% by weight of aluminumsulfate and about 38% by weight of urea.

8. A cosmetic astringent preparation containing an astringent materialcomprising an acidreacting inorganic salt of a polyvalent metal and 35 aproportion of a soluble aliphatic amide.

9. A cosmetic astringent preparation including aluminum chloride and asoluble aliphatic amide.

10. A cosmetic astringent preparation including aluminum chloride andurea. 40

11. A cosmetic astringent preparation including as its essentialastringent ingredient an acid reacting inorganic salt of a polyvalentmetal together with a proportion of a water soluble aliphatic amide.

12. A cosmetic astringent preparation including aluminum sulphate as itsessential astringent ingredient together with urea.

13. A cosmetic astringent preparation containing an astringent materialcomprising an acid 50 reacting inorganic salt of a polyvalent metal anda proportion of urea.

14. A cosmetic astringent preparation containing an astringent materialcomprising an acid reacting inorganic salt of a polyvalent metal and 55a proportion of a water soluble aliphatic amino acid.

15. A cosmetic astringent preparation containing aluminum sulphate asits essential astringent ingredient together with a soluble aliphatic 6amide.

16. A cosmetic astringent preparation containing as its essentialastringent ingredient an acid reacting inorganic salt of a polyvalentmetal together with a proportion of urea. 65

JOHN H. WALLACE, JR. WILFRED C. HAND.

